Any BMW GS Riders here?
- Thread starter Woodsgood
- Start date
Holzhacker
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- Mar 31, 2009
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- 1,192
At 5'8" my footing on a GS isn't good enough to buy one even though I'd love to have one. Also not interested in going through a suspension change. I'll stick with my K1200RS and blast past. [big grin]
I had a couple of Triumph 750's. They were fast but I learned to carry my tool kit in my trouser pockets. It seemed like i could not drive 10 miles without having to tighten something. One time, one of those turn on valve covers blew off and i thought my shin would break. maybe if i would have ridden a little slower, the thud might have been a little gentler. I finally got rid of the Tri's and got a two cycle one lung German bike. No, not a Bimmer, but one most bikers have never heard of. A 250cc Zundapp. If i had the wind to my back and level (or maybe even a little downhill), I could get 75mph out of it. I would lie down on the seat with my legs trailing out behind like a pair of windsocks. If i saw I had to slow down, i would just sit tall and sort of puff myself out to get the most wind resistance possible. One time, i was passing a tractor trailer on the interstate when a tire blew on the trailer. It scared me half to death as pieces of rubber were flying around me. I had a lot of fun and many tales to tell about my adventures with that bike, but when i got married, I had to get rid of it. I guess you could say I had to chose between the biking and domestic tranquility. My wife's dad had been killed on his Bimmer in Germany right after WWII. i could not really put up much of an arguement there. I even tried to talk her into a BMW 500 (I think that was the model/not really sure) touring bike. No go.
Tinker
Tinker
mastercabman
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- Apr 15, 2007
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- 1,854
Yep i do remember them.They were very popular in France back in the 70's-80'sTinker said:
I have a 2006 BMW R1200 GS Adventure. Love it. Here is a link to a video I posted on YouTube. This was taken at the annual Falling Leaf rally held in Potosi Missouri in October. The pace starts picking up about half way through. 2011 Falling Leaf Rally.mov
The first time i ever rode a "bike" was just after high school. A buddy had a big Indian. they were as big as Harleys in those days, and just as powerful. I got on it and he showed me how to operate it. I twisted the handle and she took off so fast i was nearly scooted off the seat. the seat was not big and comfortable, but more like a large bicycle seat. i was hanging on for dear life and for whatever reason, i could not figure out how to slow the darned thing down. I think i hung on for about a quarter of a mile before getting control. i finally got myself turned around and got back to the gas station where my friend was laughing his socks off. I never rode again until my late twenties. In those days, it was probably very fortunate i did not ride. i was, to put it mildly, just a bit crazy when driving. I just thought every highway was my own personal race rack.
I did ride on the buddy seat of another rider quite often while still in HS. I used to hitch hike home from school quite often. there was a man in his late twenties who often picked me up with his bike. As the above story, he had a big Indian. The buddy seat was nothing more than a cushion he had fashioned over the back fender. I don't recall where i put my feet, but the first time he gave me a ride, he nearly left me sitting on the highway. after a couple of rides with him, i learned how to hang on a little better. There was a road we used to take, not a short cut, actually out of the way for me to get home, but it went thru one of the small towns in the area. as we approached the twn, the road was very steep and a lot of twists and turns coming down to the main street. all of a sudden, the man told me to hang on and he just stood up on the seat. He came flyng down onto the main street with his arms stretched wide like wings. i was just about filling my skivies, but we survived. I soon found out that was the way he always went thru that town. It was fun, but looking back, i guess we were both a little crazy. oh, BTW, that Indian he rode was the old solid framed type of bike. The shock of bumps was taken up by the huge tires. No swinging frame and huge shock absorbers. Just wheels, motor and frame.
I haven't been on a bike in nearly 46 years. I keep hoping The Boss might throw me out. Oh well, i guess that won't happen. [scratch chin]
Tinker
I did ride on the buddy seat of another rider quite often while still in HS. I used to hitch hike home from school quite often. there was a man in his late twenties who often picked me up with his bike. As the above story, he had a big Indian. The buddy seat was nothing more than a cushion he had fashioned over the back fender. I don't recall where i put my feet, but the first time he gave me a ride, he nearly left me sitting on the highway. after a couple of rides with him, i learned how to hang on a little better. There was a road we used to take, not a short cut, actually out of the way for me to get home, but it went thru one of the small towns in the area. as we approached the twn, the road was very steep and a lot of twists and turns coming down to the main street. all of a sudden, the man told me to hang on and he just stood up on the seat. He came flyng down onto the main street with his arms stretched wide like wings. i was just about filling my skivies, but we survived. I soon found out that was the way he always went thru that town. It was fun, but looking back, i guess we were both a little crazy. oh, BTW, that Indian he rode was the old solid framed type of bike. The shock of bumps was taken up by the huge tires. No swinging frame and huge shock absorbers. Just wheels, motor and frame.
I haven't been on a bike in nearly 46 years. I keep hoping The Boss might throw me out. Oh well, i guess that won't happen. [scratch chin]
Tinker
